Endless Blue Adventure
by DerpyCookiMonsta
Summary: Tsukino Kuro is a female who is enrolled in Seirin Highschool. What happens when she meets Kuroko Tetsuya; The Generation Of Miracle's Sixth Man?
1. Chapter 1

Tsukino Kuro stepped into the gym, and set herself down on one of the bleachers. Then, she began singing softly. Every note she sang made her feel ecstatic, and she smiled, noticing the basketball hoop.

'The Seirin Basketball Club isn't here yet. I guess I'll leave when they do.'

Lost in her thoughts, the brunette did not notice a certain blue haired boy entering the gym.

".. Hello." He greeted her.

She flinched, and flung her bag at him, letting out a shriek that was... VERY loud. Kuroko caught the bag, and backed away, his face revealing the surprise he felt. That had caught him off guard. It had been a really close call...

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said, his voice barely audible.

"It's alright. I'm sorry for how I reacted when I saw you! You just really surprised me.." She nodded at him.

"I see. People are usually surprised by my lack of presence,but they don't usually throw bags at me." Kuroko replied, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Aah.. I'm really sorry for that!" She apologized, waving her arms in despair.

"It's okay. I just wanted to see how you would react." Kuroko replied. He was amused. It had taken him a lot of willpower to not chuckle.

"Well, I guess I should go now.. I don't want to disrupt your basketball practice. Goodbye." Tsukino bowed, and started making her way toward the exit.

"Goodbye." Kuroko responded.

Suddenly, she paused, and turned back. "Excuse me, but I didn't catch your name earlier."

"Kuroko Tetsuya." He held a basketball as he answered, but his beautiful blue orbs were fixed on Tsukino.

"I'm Tsukino Kuro. It's nice to meet you!" She grinned.

"It's nice to meet you too, Tsukino-san." Kuroko replied. Tsukino waved at him, and he waved back as she walked toward the exit once again.

Then she was gone. Just like that..

"Oi, Kuroko. You're early today!" Kagami said, walking over to him. Kuroko passed him the ball, and Kagami caught it, as if he had caught it 100 times. In other words, it was an amazing feat ordinary people wouldn't be able to do so casually.

"Hello, Kagami-kun. I was planning to play basketball before practice began, but there was already someone here so I got a little side-tracked."

"Who? I don't see anyone here."

"Tsukino Kuro. That was her name.." Kagami was about to reply, but just when he opened his mouth to, Riko trudged in along with the other members.

"Okay, let's start practice!" Everyone quickly turned their attention to Riko. After all, they didn't want extra training.

As the day came to an end, Tsukino flopped on her bed, sighing as she stared at the ceiling. 'The blue-haired boy.. Kuroko Tetsuya. I hope I'll see him again..' That was all she thought as she drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

After the school assembly, students were finally allowed to go to their classes. Tsukino used the special technique that she was working on; crowd weaving!

Though she had practiced it many times, she still BARELY made it to her class. 'Well.. I'm glad that's over.'

She quickly sat down at her desk, and took out her books.

She had woken up several times and that caused her to stay up for hours. As a result, she didn't get much sleep last night. Exhausted, Tsukino propped her head with her hands. 'Ug...Sometimes, school is really tiring.'

Soon, her eyes gave in, and she slept soundly. Fortunately, the teacher didn't say anything about it, and just went on with the lesson.

When the bell rang suddenly, Tsukino was so startled that she jumped up from her seat. She looked around, and saw that her classmates had witnessed that embarrassing moment.

Tsukino looked away quickly, and a beautifully made lunch caught her eye. 'Oh...It's finally lunch time!'

Grabbing her bento, she ran upstairs as quickly as she could.

She breathed in the fresh air that the rooftop had to offer. It was her quiet spot; a place that always comforted her with the beautiful scenery. People didn't usually go to the rooftop so she was usually there alone.

Then, there was this small rustle, and she got the feeling that she wasn't alone. She spotted the other person in the room, and crept over. "Hello, Kuroko." She sat down next to him.

"Hello, Tsukino-san. Please don't scare me like that." He didn't flinch. Just said it like that was a NORMAL reaction for someone who was 'startled'.

"Sorry! Wait...Wha- You didn't even look surprised!" She protested.

"Not at all?" He asked.

"Nope! It must be nice having a poker face.. so people wouldn't be able to know what you're feeling." That was what she had always believed. She tried to hide the problems she dealt with. There was no need to worry anyone else with her feelings an thoughts. She didn't want to show 'weakness' and seem weak.

There was a silence. She began to feel like it was the wrong thing to say, and was about to change the topic, but he suddenly spoke up. "Not always..."

After squinting at Kuroko to try and figure his feelings out, she finally realized that he seemed a little sad... "If you want to, you could tell me." She ate her bento rapidly, not making eye-contact with him.

'Maybe I.. shouldn't have said that.' Her heart was beating a little more quickly than from how it was normally. '... Is he going to think I'm annoying and nosy for saying that?' Tsukino trembled at that thought.

"Tsukino-san, you might want to slow down.. with your food." He started putting his stuff away. "I'll tell you, but it's a long story so it might take a while."

She nodded, finished eating, and put away her stuff. When she was done, she sat down and waited for him to speak.

''This is how it began...'' Kuroko told Tsukino about his past, and she listened quietly, glancing at him every now and then. By the time he was done, tears were spilling from her eyes. ''Sorry... I'm just pretending to be a fountain..." '

'...'' Kuroko handed her tissues. She gratefully accepted them, and apologized again.

"...Thank you." He mumbled.

"Huh? Could you repeat that? I couldn't hear you..." She stopped dabbing at her eyes with tissue, and looked right at him.

"..It's nothing." She dismissed it, though she knew it was 'something.'

"Basketball seems interesting..." She murmured suddenly. ''That's part of what I was thinking when you told me about this.''

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. It loudly rang several more times, reaching even the farthest parts of the school. 'Aaah, it's so loud.' Tsukino covered her ears in annoyance. When she was sure that the bell wouldn't ring again, she stopped covering her ears.

"Would you like to watch our basketball practice today?"

Tsukino stood up, and picked up her bento box. "Sure! Bye, Kuroko! See you later!''

"Bye, Tsukino-san." He replied, picking up his bento box. '

'By the way, your hair is a beautiful color.'' Those words hung in the air, leaving him mesmerized. He had to admit, he didn't expect her to say that.. By the time he realized that he didn't thank her for the compliment, she was gone, already on her way to class.

'Ah.. I'll tell Tsukino when I see her today.' Kuroko hurried back to his classroom, attempting but failing to focus on the lesson.

Those words rang in his ears over and over again.. like a lullaby.


	3. Chapter 3

It was finally the end of the school day. Tsukino sighed in relief. 'The teacher went on and on about geometry.. Those annoying shapes. I rather do algebra.'

She hurried to the gym and made it there in just 2 minutes (GIVE THE GIRL A MEDAL) but Seirin was already there, dribbling and practicing their plays. '..Wow. Do they run straight here after school?!'

''We'll be starting practice in a few minutes!'' A brunette yelled over the noise. Tsukino watched, observing the movements of each person.

''Hello, Tsukino-san.'' Her view was blocked by a tuft of blue hair, and she backed away, nearly tripping over her own feet. "Can you not!" She yelped. He just stood there, with a look of amusement on his face. 'Not even Kagami reacts like this.'

Tsukino turned away from him for a brief moment to regain her composure, and then turned back to face him. ''..Hello, Kuroko.'' He glanced at her, and she gave him a thumbs up to show that she was okay.

''You have to stop scaring me. You're going to be the death of me.. I'm not even exaggerating.'' She said, her expression mock-serious.

''Yeah, he does that a lot..''

''Mhm... This is the second time.'' Then, realizing that the voice did not belong to Kuroko, she looked around for the person. There, stood a tall, well-built male with hair that could only be described as a dark reddish and black color.

''Who are you?'' The male asked, giving her a once over. 'Is this girl Kuroko's friend?'

''Wait, aren't you supposed to introduce yourself first?

...I'm Tsukino Kuro, it's nice to meet you.'' She bowed politely.

''Kagami Taiga.'' Kuroko bowed in reply. His response was said in a voice that tried but failed to imitate the 'Kagami' guy. "It's nice to meet you, Tsukino.'' Kagami had a small smile on his face. Tsukino nodded in reply, a big grin on her face.

''And hey! I should have been the one introducing myself, Kuroko!'' Kagami protested.

''But I've always wanted to pretend to be Kagami-kun for a minute.'' He answered. Tsukino's grin grew wider (if that is even possible), and she laughed. It was barely audible, but Kuroko noticed it and smiled. It was a small smile, barely noticeable, but a smile was a smile.

''Practice is starting now!'' The brunette yelled. She didn't even have to say it twice. Everyone rushed over to her. Kuroko and Kagami hastily made they way over, but not before telling Tsukino that they would talk to her later.

Tsukino's eyes widened as she watched Kagami dunk. 'Wow... That was cool...' She stared in awe.

Breaking out of her trance, she looked to see how Kuroko was doing. He was there all of a sudden, and then he was a blur. '...Where is he?'

Just then, she saw a pass that seemed to have come out of nowhere. 'Is that Kuroko's doing? I have never seen something like that before... It's unique.' It took her a while but she finally realized that she could keep track of Kuroko if she didn't focus in on him.

All the Seirin members had a nice set of skills. She admired the 3 pointers that the glasses guy made, and the other skills that the members had. '...Wow.'

''So...How did we do?'' There was a voice that sounded just like Kagami's. ''Huh?'' Tsukino was VERY puzzled. 'Shouldn't he be focusing on his practice instead? Or am I just hearing things?'

''Practice ended just now.'' Kagami said. ''You didn't notice?''

''..No. It seems that basketball is even more interesting than I thought. I forgot about everything else while watching..'' Tsukino sheepishly admitted, scratching the back of her head. ''Ah...'' Kagami nodded in understanding.

''How did you dunk like that?'' Tsukino asked.

''I'm just tall.. Way taller than you.'' Kagami smirked.

''Hey!'' Tsukino exclaimed. ''I'm 5 foot 3,for your information!''

''Okay, okay.'' Kagami gave in, laughing a little. Tsukino couldn't help laughing along with him. The other members walked over to where they were, wondering who was the source of the noise.

They glanced at Tsukino in surprise. 'What is a girl doing here?!' They all wondered.

''..Kagami, do you know her?'' The captain asked, adjusting his glasses. At least, that's what Tsukino thought. The person with the glasses had this aura that screamed "I'M THE CAPTAIN. LISTEN TO ME." She had a feeling that everyone else would immediately listen to what he had to say.

''I met her just before practice started.. Kuroko is the one introduced her to me.'' Kagami responded, as politely as he could. After all, the person was Kagami's senpai.

''Hello, I'm Tsukino Kuro. It's nice to meet you.'' She smiled. The members introduced themselves one by one. Tsukino also met the brunette that was shouting out instructions before. Her name was Aida Riko, and she was really nice.

Riko didn't have the heart to dislike Tsukino because to Tsukino, chest size didn't matter, and didn't make someone better than another. They chatted cheerily, and asked each other random questions.

''Kuroko Tetsuya. Nice to see you here.''

''Yeah, it is nice seeing you here too.'' Tsukino replied, grinning widely.

Kuroko had a small smile plastered on his face, a smile he couldn't seem to rid of.. It was a smile that he couldn't hide.. Obviously, they knew each other already. There was no need for him to introduce himself again. The Seirin members knew that, and sensed the aura around the two.

''Kuroko... Is she your girlfriend?'' All of them (except for Kagami) growled, at the same time. There was a deadly aura around the Seirin members for sure (except for Kagami and Kuroko). ''Why are you so popular with females? First Momoi, then Tsukino.''

''No, Momoi-san is the former basketball manager of Teiko, the middle school that I was in..'' Kuroko said, shaking his head. He didn't know why but he just didn't want them to misunderstand. The Seirin members let it go,but they all knew that when they first met Momoi, Kuroko didn't really seem to mind the conclusions they jumped to.

'..I wonder if he likes Momoi or something. The Seirin members seem to be jealous of him. She must be really pretty..' Tsukino quickly pushed that thought away. 'Well, it's not any of my business..'

''Well, we'll be taking our leave now. Bye!'' The members headed for the locker room to change.

''Bye..'' Tsukino echoed, thought she knew they wouldn't hear her. 'Maybe I should stay here a bit...' She thought to herself. 'It'll be quiet here.' She told herself that, and then was determined to stay.

Tsukino ended up working on her homework there, and finished a generous amount of it. '…NO MORE SHAPES!' She silently cheered. 'I.. want to find an interesting book before I leave.' She packed up her stuff, and headed to the library.

"Wow... This book is interesting." The blurb sounded surprisingly appealing though she grabbed a random book of a shelf. "Could I check this book out?" She pulled out her library card, and waited at the counter. After waiting a few minutes, the book was checked out. 'I'm all set!'

'..WAIT! Is it RAINING?' Tsukino was panicking inside. She stuffed her book in her bag. She was about to run home without an umbrella when she felt something (or someone) grab her arm.

"Tsukino, you're going to go without an umbrella?"

"Yeah... That's the plan." She admitted. "I didn't think it was going to rain today."

"...Stoopidddd. Of course it was going to rain. Didn't you check the weather forecast?" He answered.

"..Hmph." That was all she could say in reply.

"Well, then I'll walk you home. First, let's get food!" He said, happily.

"...Okay then?" She agreed. "Someone seems very excited to get food.." The corner of her lips curled up slightly.


	4. Chapter 4

"So did you..." Tsukino trailed off. "You're seriously going to eat that much? That's enough food for 20 people!"

"...I agree. Kagami-kun always eats this much. I don't understand how." Kuroko sipped his vanilla milkshake.

"How about you? You're not eating at all!" Kagami said, trying to defend himself. In response, Kuroko grabbed a burger off Kagami's tray. He was about to protest, but then he noticed that he still had MANY burgers left on his tray, so he let that go. Kagami thought that he might as well give her a burger too so he handed one to Tsukino. She looked at him questionably and he gestured to the burger, nodded, and then she nodded.

"Thank you!" Tsukino accepted it gratefully, quickly chomping on the burger.

She finished devouring her burger, and threw her trash away."Kuroko, are those vanilla milkshakes good?" Tsukino asked.

"Yes. They are my favorite.." Kuroko replied, quite happily (that was the best word to describe his expression at the moment).

"Ah...Maybe I should try one." Tsukino murmured.

A few minutes later, Kagami was surrounded by the sound of slurping. "..." He didn't have anything to say to that.

"Wow...This is good. Kagami, you should try it!" Tsukino remarked.

"Tch... No!" Kagami refused.

"Look, isn't this delicious?" She held the shake in front of his face. Kagami turned his face away in annoyance, trying to eat his burgers. Tsukino laughed and put the vanilla milkshake back on the table.

Kagami took that cue to turn his face back, and to eat normally. However, Tsukino had a plan, and shoved the vanilla shake at him. He was just about to take a bite out of his burger, but what he got was a straw in his mouth.

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING, TSUKINO?!" He asked. (Yeah, he didn't take it well.. No wonder people don't shove drinks at others on a daily basis).

"..Doesn't the vanilla shake taste awesome?" Tsukino replied. And indeed, it did for him.

"Mhm..." Kagami managed to reply, though it was really difficult because of the straw.

"Tsukino-san, wasn't that your drink though?" Kuroko asked, STILL drinking his own vanilla milkshake.

"...Oh." She felt her face heating up as she realized what she had done. She quickly grabbed her drink back, and was focused on getting out of there for at least a few minutes.

"...S..Sorry. I need to go to the restroom!" Tsukino hurried out of there as quickly as she could, feeling embarrassed. She had a feeling that both of them knew that she made up an excuse to escape.

'But... wasn't that an indirect kiss? Wait, but he didn't seem really bothered by it. It's best if I act like nothing happened.' She splashed water on her face over and over, as if that would give her courage.

Meanwhile, Kagami and Kuroko were still devouring their food. However, they were having a conversation this time, and surprisingly, it wasn't about basketball OR food.

"So... How did you meet Tsukino?" Kagami asked. "I've been wondering.. about that for a while."

"..She was there before we started practice, and we ended up meeting." Kuroko answered.

"OH... No wonder. You told me something like that when practice began."

"You really are a bakagami.." Kuroko shook his head.

"..S-Shut up!" Kagami exclaimed. "Anyways, why was she there in the first place?"

"Well, everyone is allowed to go there. She was...singing." Kuroko answered.

They stopped talking after they noticed her returning from the bathroom. "..Hey." She awkwardly said.

"...Hello, Tsukino-san." Kuroko said.

"Hey, Tsukino." Kagami greeted. He continued stuffing his face with food.

"Oh, we have the match against Touou soon!" Kagami grinned excitedly.

"Indeed." Kuroko replied, looking just a little excited himself.

"..For?" Tsukino asked. She didn't understand it, but it sounded interesting. It was probably about basketball.

"The Inter-High." He responded.

"Ah..." She nodded, though she still didn't understand. Kuroko noticed this, and explained it to her.

"Thank you for explaining!" Tsukino said. "It sounds...exciting."

"Tsukino-san, why don't you watch the match on that day?"

"I can? Okay! I will!" Tsukino smiled. She totally forgot about the "Straw Incident" after that so she stopped acting so awkwardly.

After the three of them finished eating, they left Maji Burger.

"I have to go now. See you." Kagami said, as he begun to walk away.

"HEY! You said you were going to walk me home. It's raining, remember?!" Tsukino exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah... I'll just give you the umbrella." He said, sighing.

"That's no way to treat a girl." Kuroko replied. "I'll walk you home, Tsukino-san."

"Oh, it's okay, Kuroko! There's no need for you to!" Tsukino shook her head in protest. "I don't want to trouble you."

"Then what about me?" Kagami protested.

Tsukino just smiled at him. "It's okay to trouble you, Kagami! Besides, you're the one who offered to!"

"I don't mind." Kuroko replied.

Kagami didn't seem like he was going to let up soon, and since it was getting late, Tsukino decided to take Kuroko up on his offer. "Thanks, Kuroko."

In the end, he walked her home. Kuroko told her more about Seirin, and basketball. Tsukino listened quietly, taking in every word he said.

There was silence after that, but strangely, it felt almost... comfortable to Tsukino. She could breathe easily.

"Well..." She stopped in front of a home. The label in front of the small gate was labeled 'Tsukino.'

"I'm sorry for all this trouble." She said. 'It is kind of cold outside..'

Kuroko shook his head. "No, it didn't trouble me, so there's no need to apologize." Tsukino smiled in reply.

"Bye, Kuroko. Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow! Make sure you don't catch a cold!" He nodded in reply.

"Bye, Tsukino-san. See you tomorrow." He said, before hurrying away with his umbrella.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ah.. There's a lot of people here." Tsukino walked in, trying to avoid a stampede. She made her way to her seat, and fortunately, she made it in one piece! 'From here, I'll have a good view.' She thought. 'This is.. amazing.' She looked around in wonder.

"You made it, Tsukino!" Riko grabbed her hands excitedly.

"Yeah!~" She was very enthusiastic. 'It's the first time I'll see an official game!'

"Well, I have to get them ready for the match."

Tsukino happily nodded in reply. "Okay!" Riko walked down to where Seirin was, and began talking to them.

Soon after, it started. Since she sat near the front, she could hear everything Seirin was saying from the benches. 'Apparently, Touou has a manager named Momoi that analyzes the data she collects and predicts... Interesting. I knew someone with the same surname, but it's probably not her..' Tsukino scanned the benches for her, and when she saw 'Momoi', her eyes widened.

'It's really Satsuki?!.. Ah, I shouldn't be so surprised to see her here, but still!' She shook her head, trying to focus on the game.

And that's when Touou called for a player substitution. Tsukino looked up, and she saw HIM. 'Aomine is here too? Why?' He looked unwilling to, but he set foot on the court. 'I...hope that Seirin will win this.. and help him..' She remembered that 'Memory.' The one that she always tried to push away. The one she didn't want to remember.

_"Daiki!" She shouted as she ran to him. But as she approached him, she felt that something was off._

_ "Kuro..." He was laying down, and staring up at the sky. "You came back."_

_ "What's wrong? I thought you would be... playing basketball around this time!" She was standing over him, peering at his face._

_ And then she saw it. A painful expression on his face. But it disappeared quickly, and she blinked in confusion.'I don't think I imagined that though...'_

_ "Naw.." He said slowly. "..I don't think I'll ever find what I'm looking for." _

_ "...Oh." She trailed off. She didn't know what to say.. No matter what she said, she knew it wouldn't change anything._

_ Aomine stood up, and that was when she could see his expression clearly. _

_ "Daiki.. Your eyes.." She gasped,taking a step back. They looked empty. Lost. Hopeless. _

_ And all she could do was watch... as he plunged deeper into the darkness. _

But... her hopes were crushed when time was up. Tsukino looked at Seirin. 'They look very upset...' She thought, feeling sad. Luckily, Hyuga, the captain, scolded them, and one by one, they started looking more hopeful.

She waited for the team to finish up in the locker room, and decided to wait outside instead, but when she did, she noticed Touou's team. Before she could understand what she was doing, she called out their names. "SATSUKI! DAIKI!"

The whole team turned around, a little surprised. After all, not everyone is intimate enough to call each other by their first names. Momoi gasped, and a moment later, she ran toward Tsukino, dragging Aomine along. Aomine didn't actually notice anything out of the ordinary because he wasn't paying attention. He was just focused on the fact that he was being pulled along. "Satsuki, what are you doing?" He asked, annoyed. "Let go of me.." He didn't bother getting away, and just let himself get dragged wherever.

"Ku-chan?" Momoi ignored whatever Aomine was saying, and hugged Tsukino, who returned her hug.

"Satsuki, it's great to see you. I haven't seen you for a while!" She smiled happily.

Aomine looked down at her, finally noticing that they had company (Sadly, she wasn't taller than him), and his eyes widened. "Kuro?!"

Tsukino's smile widened. "...Daiki." She murmured, as she embraced him. To Touou's team, surprisingly, he wrapped his arms around her in response, holding her tightly. (Luckily, Tsukino could breathe).

Seeing that, Touou's legendary basketball team FINALLY decided that they should go on without Momoi and Aomine, and moved along without saying anything.

"So.. You're at Seirin now, aren't you?" Aomine said. "That's where Tetsu is." They realized they were still holding onto each other so they quickly pulled away.

"Sorry." She felt very embarrassed, realizing that this was a public place.

"Wah, Ku-chan goes to Seirin too? Lucky!" Momoi said. "I wanted to go to the same school as Tetsu-kun, but... I couldn't leave Aomine-kun by himself." Tsukino nodded, knowing very well why she made that decision. She wasn't surprised. Not at all.

"...Since you both know Kuroko, I'm guessing you're the 'Momoi' who's 'involved' with him." Tsukino said, absentmindedly.

"Yes, I'm Tetsu-kun's girlfriend!" Momoi smiled cheerfully. "This is how I fell in love with him..." She launched into her explanation, and to be honest, Aomine AND Tsukino weren't sure if she was even TALKING to them.

There were flowers popping around her, and sparkles everywhere, just like in those romantic comics. '..She's in her own world.' The two sighed. Aomine just stood there, in HIS own world. On the other hand, Tsukino actually listened to what Momoi was saying because she was a little.. curious about the relationship between Kuroko and Momoi.

"Oh, Ku-chan, you saw the game between Touou and Seirin... Didn't you?" Momoi asked, though she knew the answer to that already.

"...Yes." Tsukino said quietly. "But...Seirin won't lose to you next time!"

"No.. Tetsu's Light is too dim." Aomine replied.

"You're wrong." Tsukino said. "But we'll see what happens then.."

The three of them chatted, and soon, Tsukino saw Seirin emerging. She quickly wrapped up their conversation, and hurried to join them.

'..Kuroko still seems a little down. I want to try...cheering him up.' Tsukino thought. "Hey, Kuroko."

"Hello,Tsukino-san." He replied.

"It's...alright. I don't know how much this must have hurt, but...you can still save him." There was a hint of sadness in her voice.

"...Yes, I hope so." Kuroko replied.

"The 'Aomine' you want to save... Is his full name 'Aomine Daiki'?" Tsukino asked. 'He probably is...'

"Yes. Sorry, I just realized that I never told you their full names." He was referring to when he told Tsukino his story.

"It's okay. I was...happy to see Satsuki and Daiki." Tsukino said wistfully. Kuroko looked at her in surprise. "Actually.. I do know Momoi Satsuki and Aomine Daiki."

Kuroko listened quietly while she explained. "..We're childhood friends so the two of them allow me to call them by their first names. I had to go to America for a few years to study abroad. That was in middle school. I returned after graduating middle school, only to find that Daiki changed."

"I see..." Kuroko said thoughtfully.

The rest of day, Kuroko was... lost in thought. 'It's a little surprising that Tsukino-san knows Momoi-san and Aomine-kun.'

It was a lot for him to take in at once. 'Aah.. We will aim to become number one in Japan!' He firmly told himself.

"Daiki..." Tsukino stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

_"Hey, Satsuki. Hey, Daiki!" The little girl smiled at the two, and sat down on a bench._

_ "Ku-chan!" Momoi waved at her, and then turned back around to continue observing Aomine's movements as he played basketball._

_ "Hey, Kuro!" Aomine waved, before continuing to dribble the basketball._

_ 'Amazing...His way of playing basketball is amazing!' Tsukino thought, as she stared at him in wonder. 'He seems...so free.'_

And that was how she fell for him.


	6. Chapter 6

Tsukino watched the two games after the one against Touou. Seirin lost both of them. Tsukino wasn't surprised after hearing from Kuroko that Kagami said, "In the face of overwhelming power, I don't think we can win just by working together." Kagami didn't play in those two games, and Kuroko's passes clearly showed that he wasn't alright.

She decided to read in the gym. 'Sure, Seirin would be practicing, but it would be a peaceful place to read. Okay... Now I'm just lying to myself. I can't help but feel worried about them..'

She sat down on the floor, and started reading. Occasionally, she would glance up from time to time, sneaking peeks. Seirin was practicing as usual, but they seemed more pumped up and determined. 'Satsuki's the manager of Touou.. so I'm wondering about Seirin's manager..' Curiosity got the best of her, and she couldn't help asking.

"Aida-san.. I've been wondering. You're the coach, but what about the manager?"

"Oh, Tsukino-san. We don't have a manager. Why do you ask? Do you want to become our manager?" Riko replied.

Tsukino was about to deny that, say that she didn't have the ability to become their manager, but she stopped herself. '..I have to be honest.. to myself. What do I want to do?'

"Yes..I do. Maybe I don't have the ability to be the manager for your team, but... I want to try. I don't know much about basketball either, but I want to support Seirin. I have faith in this team. I think you all can make it far. Becoming number one in Japan?.. It's wonderful..to have a goal like that."

'The words...just poured out before I even had time to think of a way to respond.'

The team turned toward the two of them, hearing Tsukino's outburst. She noticed that it became silent all of a sudden. Tsukino turned to the team, and they stared at her. She quickly looked away, embarrassed. 'They must have heard that...'

She didn't catch the look on their faces. They had a small grin gracing their features.

"...Very well. You can become our manager." Riko responded, smiling a little. She didn't seem that happy after the Touou match so Tsukino was glad that she seemed to cheer up a little.

The team cheered as quietly as they could, which actually wasn't 'quiet' at all. "Tsukino's going to be our manager?!"

Riko just gave Tsukino a 'why do I even bother with them' look. Tsukino laughed. The team didn't get over the match against Touou but.. they seemed a little more.. alive now. They went back to practicing, and after Riko finished observing their movements, she called all of them over. Tsukino joined the group, listening intently. Apparently, if they didn't achieve the goals they had, they would have to...do something. Tsukino blushed. '...They have to do that?!' Indeed, if they blew their chances, their future was going to be very frightening.

"The year's biggest and last title to determine the year's strongest team..The Winter Cup! That's where we'll put it all on the line." Riko told the group.

"It's our last chance of the year." Izuki said.

'..At least they have one more chance.' Tsukino tried to think as positively as she could. "At least you have another shot at becoming number one in Japan!" She said, trying to liven things up. However, the team was too preoccupied with thinking about what would happen if they FAILED.

"If we can't win this winter, she'll really make us go naked..." Hyuga sweat dropped. Riko smiled at him, an innocent but deadly aura around her. There were also...sparkles around her.

They looked at her, horrified. They would really have to go back there, strip naked, and confess their feelings to the girl they love, if they failed to achieve their goals.

"But isn't it the same level as the Inter-high?"

"This is going to be tough."

"About that, Hyuga-kun." Riko said. "Teppei should be coming home soon."

"What?...Seriously?" His eyes were wandering to the side.

"We might see a lot happen." Izuki noted.

"Uh, senpai.. Who's Teppei-san?"Furihata timidly asked.

"Oh, right. The first years haven't met him yet." Izuki said. "He's our ace."

'...Ooh. From their words, I can just feel that Kiyoshi-senpai is going to be very...unique.' She thought. 'And that's not exactly a bad thing.'

The team filed into the locker room, while Tsukino stayed in the gym. She sat there, and began reading the book she found when she was at the library. Kuroko appeared, dribbling a basketball. Tsukino didn't want to disturb him so she stayed quiet, occasionally glancing at him. When the ball rolled away from Kuroko, she noticed that someone was there. She couldn't see the person clearly, but she had a feeling that she should leave. She quickly left, not wanting to eavesdrop.

Kagami came to practice,and so did Kiyoshi. "Hey." Kiyoshi appeared with his uniform on. "Let's practice."

"Good to see you, Kiyoshi." Koganei said.

"Yeah." He replied.

"Don't give me that! Why are you wearing your uniform?" Hyuga said, grabbing him by his shirt.

"I got excited about coming to practice again." Kiyoshi said. You could even hear the excitement in his voice.

Hyuga started shaking him. "Are you serious? Are you?"

"Yeah." Kiyoshi responded cheerily.

Tsukino bit back a smile. 'Wow... Kiyoshi-senpai really can get Hyuga all riled up.'

They ended up gathering around him. Apparently, he was hospitalized since last summer, and had to take a break because of his surgery and rehab.

"Kiyoshi Teppei, 193 centimeters, 81 kilos. My position is center. Nice to meet you." He introduced himself.

'Ah...so he is the one who created the Seirin basketball team.' Tsukino thought. 'Not what I expected. Looks like the other first years are also thinking the same thing..'

"Teppei, you're sure you're okay now?" Riko asked.

"Yeah! I'm completely healed. I've forgotten some stuff but I wasn't doing nothing in the hospital." Kiyoshi replied.

"Did you learn something?" Izuki asked, interested.

"Yeah..." Kiyoshi closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them dramatically. "Card games." He looked proud of himself. "The old man sharing my room taught me."

After a moment of silence, someone decided to speak up.

"So?" Koganei replied.

"It's fun." Kiyoshi said. Yeah, he didn't know why he had to say that. It went without saying!

Then a chain of reactions broke out.

"That's got nothing to do with basketball!" Hyuga, Izuki, AND Koganei exclaimed.

"Also, one more thing. I'm putting my undefeated three year high school career on the line. I'm serious about doing this. My goal is, of course... Where is it?"

'Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh?' Okay, no one knew what he was talking about.

"...What?" Riko was just as confused as everyone else in the room was.

"Where's the Inter-high being held?" Kiyoshi asked.

"It changes every year, and we already lost! We've got our sights set on the Winter Cup now!" Izuki said, exasperated.

"Where is that this year?" Kiyoshi asked. (He looked dead serious when he asked that).

"In Tokyo, every year!" Hyuga replied.

'Yup...I can hear Hyuga senpai yelling "I'm done with you" right now..'Tsukino thought.

"This is the guy who created the Seirin basketball team...What?" Kawahara, Furihata, and Fukuda shrunk away from Kiyoshi, finding it hard to comprehend.

"Anyway, if you're going to climb a mountain, you've got to aim for the top. But let's not forget to enjoy the scenery." Kiyoshi said.

'That's a beautiful quote...Kiyoshi senpai.' Tsukino looked at him in awe. 'That might become one of my favorite quotes!'

The team began to practice. Kagami dunked the ball in, and his teammates were overwhelmed. They couldn't stop him, and ended up on the ground.

"That's a foul, Kagami-kun. You're too forceful. Pay attention to your surroundings!" Riko said.

"Tch.." He began walking back, passing his teammates.

Tsukino heard discussion about Kagami's behavior. Apparently, he is acting the way he did when he first joined (and that's not a good thing). '..That game must have really affected him..'

"Why don't we play one-on-one for the starting position?" Kiyoshi asked. Kagami looked a little surprised, but didn't say anything.

"He hasn't changed. This is why I can't stand the guy. He always plays hard, is obsessed with basketball, acts stupid, and he's always up to something." Hyuga said.

He lost against Kagami. 'Okay, I think that he just wanted to see Kagami's potential.'

Tsukino spent the rest of practice trying to assist Riko. She handed out towels and water bottles after they were done.

"Good work..." That was what she said to each of the team members as they headed to the locker room.

After practice, Kuroko insisted on walking her home again since it was getting late. And of course, she argued, but eventually gave in when he said that he needed to go in that direction anyway.

'I said he didn't have to, but he insisted...' She sighed. 'Where is he anyway?' Suddenly, she felt something grab her hand. 'It's Kuroko...isn't it?' She was positive that it was him, but she still ended up reacting anyway.

Tsukino shrieked, and jerked away from whatever or whoever it was. "...KUROKO!" She cried out.

He emerged from the "shadows" (Sorry, I had the urge to type that) and stood in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Tsukino-san." He said, calmly.

When she glared at him in reply, he held his hands up in defense. "I'm really sorry, Tsukino-san! I couldn't resist.."

"Okay, okay! It's okay." Tsukino said. '...It really scared me though. I thought my heart stopped for a moment.' She shuddered a little.

The two walked slowly.

"Oh, Tsukino-san.. It seemed that you knew it was me." He referred to the stunt he pulled a few minutes ago.

"...Yeah." She said slowly, not knowing what he was trying to get at.

"Then, why did you react like that?" Kuroko asked.

"...Oh. My middle school friends used to scare me. They would pop up randomly, and at times, I would expect it, but it always surprised me no matter what." She remembered all those fond memories. "I miss them, and I admit, I miss those times too." There was the feeling of warmth bubbling inside her, and Tsukino couldn't wipe the grin off her face. She felt really idiotic like that so she tried to cover her grin with her hand.

"Why are you doing that?" Kuroko asked, though he already knew the answer. It was really obvious what she was thinking.

"No reason!" She quickly let her hand drop from her face, not wanting him to confirm his suspicions. Though, when she did that, her face started heating up. 'He's going to notice...how weird I look.'

"..Okay." He replied, glancing at her. She was still grinning.

"...There was this time when they chased me with cheese. I found it all over my stuff." She paused. "There was even cheese shoved down my gym shirt." She laughed uncontrollably. '...Is he going to think I'm crazy?' That thought didn't stop her from laughing. If anything, it made her laugh even harder.

'She looks so happy...' Kuroko smiled (Sadly, it was difficult to notice),chuckling softly. "You must have enjoyed your time in middle school, huh.."

"Yep!" She finally calmed down enough to speak.

Tsukino realized how weird she acted before. "Uhm...Sorry. I couldn't control myself. I must have looked idiotic in front of you."

"No,no.. It's fine. Besides, you looked really..." Kuroko turned away from her. "..Cute." He uttered. The second he realized he said that, he froze in place. Luckily, Tsukino didn't notice because she froze up in shock. '..That slipped out.' His face was a little pink from embarrassment. Of course, he did not let anyone see that.

'…W-What?' Tsukino's face heated up. 'Did he just say...that?'

Tsukino changed the topic quickly, thinking that she misheard him. Kuroko easily complied because he felt a little embarrassed from his sudden outburst. 'I know I once agreed that Momoi was cute, but...I didn't feel embarrassed admitting that.' He recalled the moment when he was talking to Kagami. Kagami said something like that, and Kuroko agreed, saying that she was cute...as long as she wasn't playing a game.

_ "She's cute." Kagami said._

_ "Is that so?" Kuroko replied._

_ "Hey! There's something annoying about the way you said that." Kagami glanced at Kuroko._

_ "Well, you're right." Kuroko said._

_ "What?" Kagami questioned._

_ "As long as she's not playing a game." He responded._

Tsukino and Kuroko chatted as they walked. A little of it was about basketball, but most of it was just random stuff.

"..By the way, did you tell the Seirin members about your past?" Tsukino asked.

"No..Not yet. I'm a little afraid to, honestly." Kuroko replied.

"Then...Why did you tell me?" Tsukino asked.

"..I don't know." He admitted. "..I was a little afraid, but I had a feeling I could tell you."

"Oh..." Tsukino couldn't help giving him a small smile. 'I feel.. REALLY,REALLY happy. Kuroko trusted me enough to tell me his story.'

There was a silence after that.

"Do you want a hug?" She suddenly broke the silence. '..He looks sad. Just a little, but still. It's there. The sadness.'

'….Huh?' Kuroko didn't even have enough time to comprehend that before she hugged him.

"Too late..." Tsukino murmured.

He was about to ask her to let go, but...he realized that he was comfortable. 'It's not like when Momoi-san hugs me and I could hardly breathe..This hug is..gentle in a way.' So Kuroko stood there, unmoving, as Tsukino hugged him.

Tsukino let go of him quickly. Embarrassed, she stared at the ground.

'...Oh, no. What if he's mad at me for doing that out of the blue?' She snuck a glance at him,hoping he wasn't upset.

Kuroko was smiling. Not a small smile, but a smile that would be obvious to anyone who walked by. Tsukino stared at him, rooted to the spot. "Thank you, Tsukino-san." He said gratefully. She couldn't find the words to say anything so she just nodded at him.

The rest of the walk was silent. '...It's quiet, but it's nice.. to just be with someone without technology getting in the way.'

Finally, they reached her home.

"..Thank you for walking me home again. Sorry if it bothered you." Tsukino bowed. "Bye!"

"Oh, no, it wasn't a bother." Kuroko bowed

in reply. "Bye."

Tsukino watched as Kuroko walked away. '….Did he make up an excuse to walk me home?' She shook her head. "Next time I'm not falling for that trick again. I need to go in that direction anyway', huhh..." She murmured.


	7. Chapter 7

Tsukino sat on the bench, observing the movements of the first years. The second years were seated as well. 'Oh.. I see. If the first years play, then Aida-san would know what they need to improve.'

She watched the game quietly. '...Kuroko isn't passing it to Kagami at all...' In the end,however, Seirin still won against Tokushin.

Tsukino couldn't find it in herself to cheer. 'Three consecutive days of practice games...' She sighed.

Tsukino sat next to Riko. Riko sipped her drink, and striked up a conversation with Kiyoshi. Apparently, Kiyoshi did have something in mind. "I want Kuroko-kun to know the current limits of his basketball."

'..What?! It's not Kagami who is having trouble? Well,I guess that isn't really surprising. After all, Kuroko was bound to run into a wall.' She thought to herself. 'He has to rely on his teammates, which can be a bad thing at times..'

"In order to break through this wall, he needs to abandon his style." Kiyoshi continued speaking.

"Abandon it?" Riko asked the question that Tsukino herself was about to ask.

"...And create a new style of basketball for himself." Kiyoshi finished.

"Ah, that makes sense." Tsukino murmured.

Riko and Kiyoshi continued discussing about Kuroko's style. Kiyoshi was staring out the window, and suddenly stopped explaining. "No..He should be fine now."

"What?" Riko and Tsukino didn't know what he was getting at until they heard footsteps.

Tsukino turned toward the window, and noticed Kuroko running. 'He has a smile on his face...Looks like he knows what

he's doing.' She smiled.

At practice, Riko announced that this year, at the beginning and end of summer vacation, they were going to go to the beach and the mountains. Hyuga, the captain, quickly dismissed the team, and Riko hurried off to talk to the teachers about the training camps. "One more time, everyone! Gather 'round!" Hyuga demanded. The team quickly gathered around him.

"We're currently facing grave danger." Hyuga said.

'Eh...?' The team wondered what was wrong. Sure, they needed to work hard since the Winter Cup was their last chance, but there was ANOTHER problem?!

"In order to make two trips this year, we chose cheap lodgings. We'll have to make our own food, which is where our problem lies." Hyuga closed his eyes.

And then opened them. "Coach will be cooking for us!"

The team gave him a blank look. "Eh..Is that bad?" Furihata asked.

"Of course it's bad!" Hyuga replied. "At the Touou game, you saw her honey-soaked lemons!"

Tsukino paled. 'Of course. Those lemons.'

"So, that's not cooking anymore.." Kiyoshi said thoughtfully.

"You mean it's inedible?!" The rest of the team tried to think of a way out of it.

"Why don't we just cook for ourselves?" That was a beautiful suggestion, but it was quickly shot down.

"I wish we could, but..." Hyuga trailed off. The second years nodded in agreement.

"Practice is so brutal, no one can move at night." Izuki finished Hyuga's statement.

The Seirin team stared at each other in despair. 'We might die!' That was the thought that each and every one of them had.

The Seirin members were seated for the 'Training Camp Menu Testing.'

"By the way, can any of you cook?" Kawahara asked. The team talked among themselves about their cooking ability.

"...Not sure." Tsukino mused.

"A little." Izuki replied.

"Nope!" Hyuga replied.

"Mitobe's probably the best. What about you, Kuroko?" Izuki asked.

"No one makes a meaner boiled egg than me." Kuroko answered. Tsukino stifled a laugh.

"It's ready! Curry!" Riko smiled cheerily. The Seirin members tried the curry.

'It's so bad!' That was what most of the team thought. Kuroko didn't really react. Riko handed Tsukino her share of curry.

"Thank you, Aida-san." She took the plate of curry, and set it on the table. Tsukino began eating it quietly without complaining.

The team picked at their food, and Riko started looking uncertain. "It..wasn't very good, was it?" She hid her hands behind her back. Her fingers were covered in band-aids.

Hyuga, realizing how much effort Riko put in the curry, did something only a 'man' would do. He looked at his curry, and began to eat it rapidly. Izuki watched him in horror, and the team had similar reactions. Riko stared at Hyuga in shock.

"Thanks for the food." Hyuga got up after finishing all of his food. "It tasted good, but it was a little spicy. I'm going to get something to drink." He opened the door, and left.

"It had an unique flavor, but it was pretty good." Kiyoshi remarked, filling his plate with curry. "It had the most important ingredient. It had love. But you may have gone wrong somewhere with your cooking. Why don't you try making it again?" Kiyoshi smiled at Riko.

"Yeah, it is! I like how soft the rice is. It makes it easy to swallow." Tsukino nodded in agreement, and continued eating her curry.

"Okay!" Riko looked much happier than she was before.

'What men! You guys are such men! Well, Tsukino isn't a 'man', but still!' The team was full of respect for the three of them.

"Hyuga?" Izuki opened the door, only to find Hyuga passed out on the floor. "Hyuga!" He could literally see his soul emerging from his body.

"Can anyone teach Riko how to make it?" Kiyoshi asked.

"Kiyoshi, you're dripping some kind of weird sweat!" Koganei looked at him in despair.

"Mitobe then."

"Mitobe?" Koganei and Tsuchida were very taken back by what they saw.

"He's gone!" They cried out in horror.

"So, who's going to teach her? Me or Izuki?" Tsuchida asked. Yeah, this was indeed a hopeless situation.

"Tsukino-san, are you okay? You're looking a little pale." Kuroko said. The two of them had their chairs turned a certain way so that they could watch the scene unfold in front of them.

"Mmm...I'm fine." Tsukino grunted. She was fighting in a battle inside, but of course, she couldn't win against Riko's curry. Her eyes gave in, and she went limp.

"Tsukino-san?" Kuroko waited for a reply, but of course he didn't get one. He glanced at her, and noticed that she was passed out (much like Hyuga). Fortunately, she didn't fall off her chair yet, but she was dangerously close to.

Kuroko gently put his arm around her waist, making sure that he was holding her upright. After staring at her for a few seconds, he observed the scene. The team was panicking, and Kagami was just..cooking something.

Kagami was cooking like a pro. "Here." He set the dish on the table.

"Eeh, this looks delicious!" Furihata remarked, as Koganei eagerly held a pair of chopsticks. Tsuchida could only stare at the food in shock.

"Give me a taste!" Koganei tasted it. "It's so good!"

"Kagami, how?" Tsuchida asked.

"I live by myself." Kagami replied.

Tsukino heard a lot of noise. '...What's happening?' She slowly opened her eyes. 'I feel a lot warmer than I did before..'

"Oh, Tsukino-san. You finally woke up." Kuroko said. She nodded.

"Guess I couldn't handle the curry." She cheerfully remarked.

"Yes, you couldn't." There was a hint of amusement in his tone.

Her stomach had that warm, cheerful feeling inside of her. 'Ah! For some reason, I feel...a lot of warmth from around my waist.' She noted.

'She looked down at her waist, and her eyes widened.

'W-What?' Tsukino felt her face heating up.

"Sorry,you looked like you were about to fall from your chair before." Kuroko apologized calmly.

"O-Oh.. T-Thank you!" Tsukino replied, trying to stay calm (which she is obviously not doing well). She knew she would feel embarrassed if she made eye contact with him, but she stared right into his eyes.

He nodded, and let go of her. "You're welcome. I forgot to say this before, but thank you for the compliment you gave me on the rooftop."

'Oh, he's talking about when I told him that his hair was a beautiful color.' She couldn't resist grinning. "No problem!"

"I would say the same to you, Tsukino-san. Your hair is dark brown, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. I've always wanted light brown hair like Aida-san's though." Tsukino admitted.

"Your hair is beautiful the way it is, Tsukino-san." Kuroko said, as straight forward as ever.

Tsukino was clearly flustered, blushing furiously. "Thank you, Kuroko.. That makes me feel really happy."

'..Tsukino-san, you're making me say stuff I don't usually say.' Kuroko wanted to say that out loud, but he didn't.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team was enjoying the delicious food Kagami made.

"This is so good!"

"What is this?"

Riko watched as the team fawned over Kagami's cooking. She slowly made her way to the table they were sitting at. "Kagami-kun! Teach me how to make curry!" Riko was determined to create something delicious too!

"Sure, but I'm a strict teacher." Kagami agreed.

'I'm rooting for her!' Tsukino quietly cheered. 'Let's hope this goes well...'

The result? Beautifully made curry that was literally screaming 'EDIBLE!'

The team gasped,staring at the curry in surprise. "Good, it looks good!" Izuki remarked.

"It's curry! It's perfect!" Koganei admired the curry.

"I got it this time! Dig in!" Riko looked confident about the curry that was made.

"Thanks for the food!" They cheerfully exclaimed, and took a bite of the curry. They made a face that screamed 'It's really bad!'

"You're kidding! Why?" Riko stared at them in despair.

'We don't know either...' They ate the curry unwillingly.

'What is this?'

'The only thing I can say is..'

'It's as disgusting as ever..' The boys all thought in unison.

"Kagami, didn't you make it with her?" Koganei asked.

"I did. I even tasted it." Kagami rubbed his head.

"Then why?" Koganei was clearly confused.

'Coach's inability to cook is beyond human understanding.' One of the members thought. 'But it's almost amazing.'

Kuroko took a bite of his curry. "It's good." Tsukino nodded in agreement, not bothering to speak because of the amount of food in her mouth.

"Kuroko, that's enough. Don't do anything crazy." Izuki tried to warn him.

"No, it really is good." Kuroko replied.

"Kuroko, did you serve yourself?" Kiyoshi asked.

"Yes. They forgot about me,so..." Kuroko trailed off.

"Riko, could you plate another serving?" Kiyoshi asked. He was going to get to the bottom of this mystery!

"Sure.." Riko plated another serving. "First, you put the rice on the plate. Then, before you add the sauce..." She sprinkled stuff on the rice.

"Has she been putting cheese on there?"

"That's some serious cooking.."

"Hey, what is that?!" Koganei suddenly exclaimed.

"It's protein and vitamin C powder." Riko replied.

"Th-That's it!" The team exclaimed loudly.

And so, the Seirin team tried the curry out WITHOUT the protein and vitamin C powder. "It's normal!"

"Then say it tastes good!" Riko protested.


	8. Extra 1

'His eyes were blue.. reminding me of the beautiful sky. That was what I first noticed about him. When I looked into those blue orbs, they made me feel like I was soaring through the sky.'

"Tsukino-san, Tsukino-san.. Can you hear me?" It took her two minutes to realize he was calling her name.

"Oh...Yes... I can hear you." She smiled, and continued walking next to him.

''Wait. There is a tree in your path,Tsukino-san." There was a hint of concern in his voice.

"Huh?" She looked at him. "What do you mean?" As she said that, she noticed what he was talking about. It was about a foot away from her, and she was STILL trudging forward,though she was trying to halt. She really did try!

'Oh no.. I can't control my legs.' Tsukino panicked.

A few moments later, she found herself sprawled on the floor, clutching her head.

"I feel dizzy." Tsukino groaned. 'That tree...' She rubbed her head, trying to soothe it.

"Are you okay?" The blue haired boy asked, extending his arm out to her.

"..Y-Yes. Thank you for helping me, Kuroko." She mumbled, grabbing his hand. He slowly pulled her up from the ground. Luckily, no one accidentally stepped on her while she was on the floor.

'He has done so much for me. I really want to do the same for him..' Tsukino pondered.

''You're welcome. What's your favorite color?'' Kuroko asked suddenly.

"Blue. It's a color I've loved since the beginning. There are many shades of blue, but they're all.. pretty." Tsukino glanced at his shimmering hair.

He noticed, and stared back at me with his usual poker-face. She quickly looked away, and focused on the ground. '..He saw me staring. Quickly, act normal!' Tsukino told herself.

"That is a beautiful color. It describes you.." He mused.

She felt her face heating up as she looked up from the ground. She stood there, dumbfounded.

'..Did he just give me a compliment?'

Suddenly, she felt this 'I'm hungry' vibe from her stomach. She heard a grumbling sound, and looked around for the source of the sound,hoping that it wasn't coming from her. The sound grew louder, and she realized that it was indeed HER stomach. "Sorry.. That was me." She confessed. 'This is so embarrassing.'

Neither of them said anything. It grew so quiet that she could hear her heartbeat.

"Tsukino-san, let's go to Maji Burger! '' He suddenly broke the silence.

'When he said that, I swear... It looked like he was glowing with joy.' Tsukino smiled to herself.

"Let me guess, you want to get a vanilla milkshake." She replied, grinning. 'It seems like he doesn't show his emotions often so I guess him feeling happy is a good sign.'

"How did you know?" He had a hint of a smile on his face.

"Instinct." She answered.

"We both know that's not it." He looked a little amused.

"Well, maybe I'm just magical." Tsukino reached the entrance of Maji Burger.

Kuroko let out a small sigh. His sigh was so silent that if she didn't pay attention, she wouldn't have heard him. "Yeah, maybe you are." He murmured.

"Huh? What did you say?" Tsukino questioned.

"Nothing. Let's go." Kuroko held the door open, and she awkwardly walked in.

"Thank you, Kuroko." She gratefully thanked him. 'I wanted to hold the doorrrrrr for him though.'


	9. Chapter 8

'Wow.. The sea is so pretty!' Tsukino thought to herself.

"Let's swim!" Koganei cheered, raising a fist to the sky. The team agreed cheerily, following his motion. Yelling that it was a "TRAINING CAMP, IDIOT", Hyuga scolded them.

Nigou barked, and Tsukino patted his head gently.

A car drove up, and rolling the windows down, the man spoke to the group. "Brats...Lay a hand on my daughter, and I'll kill you." He glared at them, pulling his sunglasses down.

"Yes, sir!" Everyone obediently answered.

'He must be Riko's father.' Tsukino stood there, watching as the whole scene unfolded in front of her.

"Oh, hello there, Tsukino! I've heard a lot about you from my daughter." He gave her a small smile, which seemed rare because he sure wasn't smiling at the boys.

"Hi!" She gave him a small smile in reply. "It's nice to meet you."

"And, if you mess with Tsukino..." He turned toward the Seirin boys again.

"That's enough, papa!" Riko protested, embarrassed . "I'm sorry, Tsukino." She whispered.

"It's okay." She whispered back. "I don't really mind."

"Thanks, Papa!" Riko waved as his car drove away.

"The coach's dad..." Hyuga said, the fear obvious in his voice. The other members were quite afraid too, but not as much as the second years.

"...So,what are those?" Izuki changed the topic, gesturing to something.

Riko let out a laugh. "My dad brought them here for me."

"Don't tell me we're going to..." Izuki caught on quickly.

"We're going to play basketball." Riko confirmed it.

"What?" The team stared in disbelief.

Riko continued explaining what she had in mind, and everyone listened carefully as she spoke.

"Let's get this training camp from hell started!" Riko blew her whistle and so, it began.

The Seirin team played basketball, and it was especially difficult because they were on sand. They quickly realized that they couldn't dribble, and had to instead make plays by passing to each other. They practiced, and they were EXHAUSTED afterwards.

"Hey, Riko...Is there anything I could help you with?" Tsukino asked.

"Well...You could help me with cooking." She replied.

"Okay..." She sliced the vegetables carefully, making sure she wasn't about to cut herself by accident. Knives looked scary, and so SHARP.

They cooked the food for the team, and then told them when it was ready.

The team stumbled into the room; each step they took was painful. Even refusing seemed tiring...so they ate the food without complaints, and let's just say... it was edible. Yeah.


End file.
